A female student celebrates her results.

Students collecting their grades.

This group of students were pleased with their grades.

The Year 11 pupils at Backwell School.

Two Backwell students celebrating their results.

The results, which include the core subjects of English and Maths, are the same as last year’s figures.

A total of 35 students gained eight or more A* or A grades, while 76 per cent of year 11 students gained A*-C grades in English and Maths.

Headteacher Julian Baldwin, who retired at the end of this school year, said everyone at the school was incredibly proud of the students.

Mr Baldwin said: “The pupils are a credit to the school and themselves in so many ways.”

Star students included Huw Evans, who achieved 12 A* grades and one A grade, Luke Barrett and Tom Slade, who both achieved 11 A* grades and two A grades, and Esther Leong and Will Cattermole, who both achieved nine A* grades and two A grades.

Huw told the Times he would be staying on at Backwell to study A-levels in history, maths, economics and further maths in September.

He said: “I am a little bit surprised, but I am so happy.

“It is such an amazing feeling when you have worked for so long and it seems like this day would never come. All the hard work has paid off.”

The school also praised students who had made huge progress since joining the school as year seven pupils.

Mr Baldwin said: “As a comprehensive school we are celebrating every single student who has achieved their best.

“The progress students such as Justine Segar, Anna Bassett and Sara Flower have made since joining Backwell has been immense.”

* For the full round-up of North Somerset’s GCSE results, pick up a copy of next week’s Times.